1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related in general to a method and apparatus for separating, purifying, promoting interaction and improving combustion and more particularly to a method and apparatus for separating joined components placed in a fluid medium, for purifying liquid, for promoting interaction between two or more components and improving combustion in a liquid fuel.
2. Description of Related Art
It has long been desirable to quickly separate joined components without degradation of the individual components. Examples of joined components needing separation include grain components, contaminants from pure products, juice from solid biomass, and starch and protein from biomass. Corn, in particular, is a grain that is desirable to separate into its individual components without degrading the components. Corn endosperm is rich in starch and protein which are both valuable as separate components.
A typical process for separating or milling corn includes fermenting (steeping) the kernels in warm water and sulfur dioxide for about 35 to 50 hours. The fermentation process softens the corn for easier separation by mechanical processing, but it also degrades the components of the corn. Some of the components of the kernels typically dissolve or suspend in the acidic water and are subsequently discarded. Discarding these components results in less profit for the corn miller. Additionally, at the end of the milling process, the corn requires substantial drying due to the fermentation process.
After fermentation, a degerminator separates the germ, pericarp and endosperm through abrasion between the corn and degerminator, abrasion between the individual corn kernels and impact between the corn and degerminator. Conventional degerminators frequently break the germ and do not consistently provide complete separation of germ and endosperm. Conventional degerminators also do not separate the starch and protein within the endosperm. Thus, a typical corn milling process is relatively expensive, time consuming and inefficient.
Purification of liquids to remove microorganisms is typically conducted using one of the following methods: distillation, filtration, boiling, disinfection by chemical treatment, ultraviolet light treatment or reverse osmosis. However, all of these processes have drawbacks including: expense, time, size, effectiveness and inefficiency. Pasteurization is one purification process used to kill microorganisms in liquids such as juice and milk. Pasteurization kills microorganisms by heating the liquid for a pre-determined amount of time. However, pasteurization does not kill all microorganisms within a liquid because to do so with heat alters the liquid's taste.
Promoting interaction between two or more components is desirable for promoting reactions between the components. Interaction between components is typically accomplished using an agitator or mixer which rotates a blade through the components and/or vibrates the components.
Improving combustion of a liquid fuel is desirable for improving efficiency and decreasing environmentally harmful exhaust emissions. Combustion of a liquid fuel is typically improved by atomizing the fuel to maximize its surface area. One conventional method for improving combustion is to utilize a fuel injector with a nozzle capable of atomizing the fuel.